PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors announced winners of the group’s annual writing and photo contests on Friday.
Cash awards will be presented to the first-place winners at the PAPME’s annual convention in State College on May 30.
Judges also selected “Best of Show” winners in news and photos across all circulation divisions, and a photographer to receive the Paul Vathis Memorial Photography Portfolio Award, in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer from Pennsylvania. Winners for those three prizes will be revealed at the award ceremony.
The entries were judged by editors at AP member newspapers in New York.
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CIRCULATION OVER 75,000
WRITING
Blogging
First: James O’Toole, Tim McNulty, Karen Langley, Andrew McGill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Early Returns”
Second: Bob Batz, Melissa McCart, Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “PG Plate”
Business Writing
First: Donald Gilliland, The Patriot-News, Mechanicsburg, “Fragile Future: Harrisburg University’s struggle to survive”
Second: Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Why did it fail?”
Column
First: Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Someday, today’s gun laws will be absurd”
Second: Trudy Rubin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Not winning the Nobel but inspiring the world”
Editorial
First: Cynthia Burton, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Caged birds aren’t singing to be targets”
Second: Sandra Shea, Philadelphia Daily News, “CY-Buried Education”
Enterprise Reporting
First: Staff, Philadelphia Daily News, “Forgotten”
Second: Michael Matza, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “A sad tale of illness and detention”
Public Service by a Newspaper
First: Adam Smeltz, Luis Fabregas, Mike Wereschagin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Legionnaires’ disease at VA”
Second: Helen Ubinas, Philadelphia Daily News, “10 years and still no pay for blight-fighting ex-cons”
Feature Writing
First: Jason Nark, Philadelphia Daily News, “The Bullet Always Wins’”
Second: Michael Fuoco, Laura Schneiderman, Andrew McGill,Rebecca Droke, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “After Suicide: When all that’s left is why?”
General News Reporting
First: Staff, The Philadelphia Inquirer,”6 Dead in Collapse”
Second: Robert Zullo, Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Housing Authority turns to consultant,” ’’Law firms among authority’s consultants,” ’’City Housing Authority struggles with scrutiny,” ’’Damage in kitchen from fire,” ’’Senator demands city Housing Authority data,” ’’Developer: City agency withholding funding”
Investigative Reporting
First: Joe Smydo, Andrew Rush, Julia Rendleman, James Hilston, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “A system under siege”
Second: Mike Newall, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Almost Justice: An Inquirer Special Series on the Beau Zabel Murder”
News Use of Video
First: Steve Mellon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Alzheimer’s tightens its grip on former pilot”
Second: Christine Baker, The Patriot-News, “The Program: Big Mike”
Online Coverage of Breaking News
First: Staff, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Shooting outside Brashear High School”
Second: Staff, The Patriot-News, “Tanker crash and fire”
Sports Deadline Reporting
First: Brady McCollough, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “That winning season,” ’’Eat it up, Pirate fans: Your team is officially a winner again”
Second: Staff, Philadelphia Daily News, “The Frost and the Furious”
Sports Feature Reporting
First: Sam Donnellon, Philadelphia Daily News, “Running With Chippah”
Second: Travis Sawchik, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Shifting gears”
Sports/Outdoors Column
First: Marcus Hayes, Philadelphia Daily News, “Borrowed Time”
Second: Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Hey, baseball, can you hear us yet?”
Spot News Reporting
First: Staff, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “6 Dead in Collapse”
Second: Jon Schmitz, Paula Ward, Kaitlyn Riely, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Flash flooding leaves widespread damage,” ’’Heavy rain inundates area roads, parking lots and basements,” ’’Rain came down”
PHOTOS
Feature Photo
First: Sean Simmers, The Patriot-News, “Stretch”
Second: Guy Wathen, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “She can still cut a rug”
Personality Portrait
First: Yong Kim, Philadelphia Daily News, “Gimme an S!”
Second: Guy Wathen, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Vatican astronomer”
Photo Story
First: Julia Rendleman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “A family gripped by grief”
Second: Julia Rendleman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The worlds of autism”
Sports Photo
First: Matt Freed, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “New York’s Casey Cizikas just misses serious injury”
Second: Christopher Horner, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “No avoiding the tag”
Spot News Photo
First: Steven M. Falk, Philadelphia Daily News, “Sweating bullets”
Second: Andrew Russell, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Three Brashear students shot”
CIRCULATION 30,000 TO 75,000
WRITING
Blogging
First: Tom Reisenweber, Jeff Kirik, Mike Copper, Erie Times-News, “Varsity”
Second: John Cole, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, “Cartoons”
Business Writing
First: Terrie Morgan-Besecker, James Haggerty, The Times-Tribune, “A Minimum Existence”
Second: Crissa Shoemaker DeBree, Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, “Made in the USA”
Column
First: Christopher J. Kelly, The Times-Tribune, “Ballad of a thin man”
Second: Amanda Cregan, Bucks County Courier Times, “A year of anguish”
Editorial
First: Guy Petroziello, Bucks County Courier Times, “Get our money back!”
Second: Shane Fitzgerald, Beaver County Times, “Friendship Ridge”
Enterprise Reporting
First: Staff, Erie Times-News, “Leaning Into Leadership”
Second: Staff, Observer-Reporter, Washington, “No Place To Call Home”
Feature Writing
First: Rebekah Brown, The Times-Tribune, “Journey of Hope”
Second: J.D. Prose, Beaver County Times, “When Kennedy came to the Avenue”
General News Reporting
First: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, Gettysburg 150th anniversary package.
Second: Borys Krawczeniuk, Joe Kohut, Christopher J. Kelly, The Times-Tribune Staff; The Times-Tribune, Stories on Robert Gensiak’s neglect, death, uncovered flaws in system
Public Service by a Newspaper
First: Laura Legere, The Times-Tribune, “Testing the Waters”
Second: Staff, Bucks County Courier Times, “Buck Up Bucks County!”
Investigative Reporting
First: Staff, Bucks County Courier Times, “Heroin: It’s time for the talk”
Second: Terrie Morgan-Besecker, The Times-Tribune, “Pension Crisis”
Online Coverage of Breaking News
First: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “York County floods”
Second: Staff, The Intelligencer, Doylestown, “Warminster standoff”
Sports Deadline Reporting
First: Frank Bodani, Jim Seip, Brad Jennings, Chris Dunn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Lions run out of magic”
Second: Rich Scarcella, Reading Eagle, “Penn State decides to go for it,” ’’PSU’s angry defense bounces back,” ’’Highlights and lowlights”
Sports/Outdoors Column
First: Frank Bodani, York Daily Record/Sunday News, York, “Advice for a high school graduate from York County’s Sports Greats”
Second: Tom Venesky, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, “Bill could be fatal blow to endangered species”
Sports Feature Reporting
First: Ford Turner, Reading Eagle, “Magic Matz,”
Second: Mike Drago, Reading Eagle, “Trying to triumph over tragedy”
Spot News Reporting
First: Borys Krawczeniuk and The Times-Tribune staff, The Times-Tribune, “POTUS (and VPOTUS) Visit”
Second: Staff, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Flood spreads”
News Use of Video
First: Jason Plotkin, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “The hands and heart of Paul Miller”
Second: Andy Colwell, Erie Times-News, “Smiling and Laughing Through Dementia’s Darkness”
PHOTO
Spot News Photo
First: Jason Farmer, The Times-Tribune, “Firefighter at gasoline fire”
Second: Chris Dunn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Flood spreads”
Feature Photo
First: Sally Maxson, Beaver County Times, “Real home base”
Second: Stephanie Veto, Bucks County Courier Times, “Revolutionary day”
Sports Photo
First: Aimee Dilger, The Times Leader, “Play at the plate”
Second: Art Gentile, Bucks County Courier Times, “Heads of state”
Personality Portrait
First: Rick Kintzel, The Intelligencer, “The spark on defense”
Second: Kate Penn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Diabetes portrait”
Photo Story
First: Jason Plotkin, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Touch of faith: The Paul Miller story”
Second:,Kate Penn, York Daily Record/Sunday News, “Lineage of sickness: Jayquan’s story”
CIRCULATION 15,000 TO 30,000
WRITING
Blogging
First: Andy Hachadorian, Daily Local News, West Chester, “Blog posts by Andy Hachadorian”
Second: Teresa Hoover, John Simcoe, Lori Goodlin, The York Dispatch, “Yard Sale Secrets”
Business Writing
First: Candy Woodall, The York Dispatch, “County wages fall behind,” ’’Cost-cutting is main way many Yorkers stay afloat”
Second: Liz Hayes, Braden Ashe, Brian Rittmeyer, Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum, “Classes Dismissed”
Column
First: Marc Charisse, The Evening Sun, Hanover, “The Ajax, the Achilles and the Exeter”
Second: Howard Frank, Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, “So much for a melting pot, racism lives”
Editorial
First: Chris Rosenblum, Centre Daily Times, State College, “Thompson’s shot from the hip misses the mark”
Second: Dave Janoski, The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, “A supersized headache”
Enterprise Reporting
First: Chris Rosenblum, Centre Daily Times, “Fight of his life”
Second: Caroline Sweeney, Rosemarie Ross, Evan Brandt, The Mercury, Pottstown, “Concussions in Girls”
Public Service by a Newspaper
First: Peter Cameron, The Citizens’ Voice, “Sound the Alarm: Favoritism, egos, money putting residents at risk when it comes to getting emergency assistance”
Second: Staff, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “R2K Right to Know Project: Power to the People; Policemen’s Legacy; Paid to Lead”
Feature Writing
First: Christina Kauffman, The York Dispatch, “Local runners get engaged, finish minutes before blasts”
Second: Mary Ann Thomas, Valley News Dispatch, “Built on Bricks”
General News Reporting
First: Michael Sisak, Bob Kalinowski, Dave Janoski, The Citizens’ Voice, “Crisis at Canaan”
Second: Staff, Pocono Record, Ross Township shootings
Investigative Reporting
First: Jenna Ebersole, Pocono Record, “Will we be ready?”
Second: Kristin Baver, Press Enterprise, Bloomsburg, “The scourge of methamphetamine: Meth Mania, From large lab to lone user/cook, I was a ghost, Instantly hooked, Drug labs leave homes tainted.”
News Use of Video
First: Bob Kalinowski, The Citizens’ Voice, “The Long Road Back”
Second: Elizabeth Skrapits, The Citizens’ Voice, “Hollywood on the Susquehanna”
Online Coverage of Breaking News
First: Staff, Pocono Record, “Ross Township shooting”
Second: Bob Kalinowski, Michael Sisak, The Citizens’ Voice, “Exclusive: U.S. Attorney General, citing safety, halts furlough of federal prison guards”
Sports Deadline Reporting
First: Austin Hertzog, Darryl Grumling, Don Seeley, The Mercury, “Golden Girls: Spring-Ford wins state title”
Second: Jimmy May, Tim Hare, Dan Reilly, Press Enterprise, “Worth the wait”
Sports Feature Reporting
First: Travis Johnson, Centre Daily Times, “A birds-eye view of the game”
Second: Rosemarie Ross, The Mercury, “Chasing waterfalls: The incredible fall and rise of Michelle Konkoly”
Sports/Outdoors Column
First: Mitch Rupert, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “Eck fulfills promise to grandpa”
Second: Tom Tatum, Daily Local News, West Chester, “Justice prevails with a wag of the tail”
Spot News Reporting
First: Staff, Centre Daily Times, “Fundamentally flawed: Paterno family report challenges Freeh’s findings, methodology”
Second: Brian Rittmeyer, Liz Hayes, Valley News Dispatch, “Tarentum, Kiski Miners Hurt”
PHOTO
Feature Photo
First: Eric Felack, Valley News Dispatch, “School Days Begin”
Second: Mark Nance, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “Temperatures soar”
Personality Portrait
First: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Gameface Airplane”
Second: Amanda Steen, Herald-Standard, Uniontown, “Delta Dawn’s search for answers”
Photo Story
First: Christopher Weddle, Centre Daily Times, “Fight of his life”
Second: Roberto M. Esquivel, Herald-Standard, “Behind the wall: Prison overcrowding”
Sports Photo
First: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Dust Bowl”
Second: Amanda Steen, Herald-Standard, “Boys and bulls”
Spot News Photo
First: Tom Kelly IV, Daily Local News, West Chester, “6 killed in Philadelphia building collapse”
Second: Andrew Krech, The Citizens’ Voice, “Wesley Street Shooting”
CIRCULATION 15,000 AND UNDER
WRITING
Blogging
First: Tammie Gitt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Reluctant Foodie”
Second: Naomi Creason, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Now Showing”
Business Writing
First: Tammie Gitt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Developing Downtowns”
Second: Chauncey Ross, The Indiana Gazette, “Marcellus shale holds promise as new markets for gas open”
Column
First: Jon Sitler, Times Observer, Warren, “SitComm: Hitting the pause button”
Second: Linda Koehler, Times News, Lehighton, “To colonoscopy or not to colonoscopy”
Editorial
First: Jeff Pratt, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Honor is alive and well”
Second: Eric Paddock, Times Observer, “Our opinion: A tide that never ebbs”
Enterprise Reporting
First: Donald Serfass, Kathy Kunkel, Times News, “Miracle kids”
Second: Travis Kellar, Naomi Creason, Christen Croley, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Decoding the ACA”
Public Service by a Newspaper
First: Julie Martin, The Indiana Gazette, “Gazette’s Treasures for Children program benefits needy families at Christmas”
Feature Writing
First: Colin Deppen, The Bradford Era, “Area firefighter home safe from California wildfire”
Second: Rick Bruni Jr., The Valley Independent, Monessen, “Valley soldier immortalized at Afghan base he never saw”
General News Reporting
First: Saranac Hale Spencer, The Legal Intelligencer, Philadelphia, “Same-Sex Marriage in Pennsylvania”
Second: Ron Gower, Amy Miller, Chris Parker, Times News, “Lansford officer dead”
Investigative Reporting
First: Donald Serfass, Kathy Kunkel, Times News, “Miracle kids”
Second: Travis Kellar, Naomi Creason, Christen Croley, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Decoding the ACA”
News Use of Video
First: Bruce Siwy, Michelle Ganassi, Christina Dunmyer, Rick Kazmer, Jeff Maurer, Daily American, Somerset, “American Friday Night Kickoff: Weekly high school football program”
Second: Michelle Ganassi and Staff, Daily American, “DA Live Monthly video series: Group fishing for support to fix Somerset Lake”
Online Coverage of Breaking News
First: Jason Malmont, Lara Malmont, Jeff Pratt, Joe Cress, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Turnpike bus crash, March 16”
Second: Staff, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Monroe Township train derailment”
Sports Deadline Reporting
First: Tony Coccagna, The Indiana Gazette, “Local runners safe after explosions”
Second: Dave Rung, Sam Butler, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “PIAA wrestling day 3”
Sports Feature Reporting
First: Nancy Sharer, The Daily/Sunday Review, Towanda, “Iron Couple: Camptown husband and wife compete in Ironman Triathlon”
Second: Matthew Burglund, The Indiana Gazette, “Safe at Home: Seventeen years after leaving Indiana, Michael Ryan’s baseball journey continues”
Sports/Outdoors Column
First: “Rick Kazmer, Bruce Siwy, Daily American, “Should there be antler limits for hunting deer?”
Second: B.J. Small, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Celebrating a grand slam”
Spot News Reporting
First: Travis Kellar, Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Derailed”
Second: Rick Bruni Jr., The Valley Independent, “Fire, explosions hit junkyard”
PHOTO
Feature Photo
First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Hard work pays off for Carlisle students”
Second: James Nestor, The Indiana Gazette, “Serene Scene”
Personality Portrait
First: Michael Bupp, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Fighting Mental Illness”
Second: Darryl Wheeler, Gettysburg Times, “Ride On”
Photo Story
First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Raising The Roof”
Second: Evan Sanders, The Daily Courier, Connellsville, “Dead is Final”
Sports Photo
First, Bob Ford, Times News, “Flop”
Second: Teri M. Enciso, The Indiana Gazette, “In the Hunt”
Spot News Photo
First: Jason Malmont, The Sentinel, Carlisle, “Turnpike Tragedy”
Second: Tom Peel, The Indiana Gazette, “Fire Levels Accent Fuels”
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